The present invention relates to the field of software for managing presentation events.
A presentation event (e.g., conference) can be a gathering of a set of people, referred to as an audience, which observes a set of one or more presentations, each provided by a set of one or more presenters. The presentations can include slide-shows, media presentations, round table discussions, demonstrations, and the like.
Each presentation event is typically organized by a central topic, where multiple specific presentations can be given on that topic. Thus, a presentation event is has a set of details, such as a date, time, location, one or more attendees, one or more presentations, and one or more presenters. Often the presentation details are initially proposed within a range, which is narrowed during the presentation event establishment process, until a solid agenda, specific locations and times, and the like are created. This agenda may vary slightly over time (i.e., substitute planners needed for cancellations, etc.). Numerous logistical concerns, such as catering for the event, printing materials (e.g., name tags, portfolios, signs), and the like must be handled. Traditionally, the event setup and logistics process has been a manually driven one, where success or failure of the event can be largely dependent on manual activities performed by a set of event planners.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) provides an illustrative example of a conventional architecture 100, which demonstrates a manner in which a presentation event is currently planned and a manner in which logistics for the presentation event are handled. The architecture 100 assumes a presentation event where one or more presenters 112 provide presentations to an audience 104. These presentations can occur in a set of one or more rooms 110, halls, or other locations. Additionally, the presentation event can be supported by one or more service entities, such as catering entities 114. Logistics and set-up specifics for the presentation event can be managed and/or coordinated by a set of one or more event planners 106, in accordance with event request specifics provided by one or more requestors 102.
To elaborate, a requestor 102 of the presentation event can define event goals and topics, which target a particular audience 104. Specifics desired for the event can be communicated between the requestor 102 and the event planner(s) 106. In a real-world scenario, these communications often occurs as a series of exchanges with between one or more requestors 102 and planning agents (e.g., planners 106). Architecture 100 includes request message 120 as a simplistic representation of these exchanges and assumptions. A granularity level and comprehensiveness of the requests conveyed between the requestor 102 and planner(s) 106 can vary significantly from situation-to-situation. In one embodiment, event requests (represented by request message 120) can include, but are not limited to, a set of topics, start and end times and dates, a location, occupancy requirements, catering requirements, and accounting details, and the like, shown by data 121.
Event planners 106 develop an agenda for the presentation event, where the agenda defines a set of presentations to match the topics. Rooms, presenters 112, and supporting material are then determined on a presentation-by-presentation basis. For example, each of the presenters 112 must be contacted and booked. Presenters 112 can provide their own materials and/or can use pre-prepared materials that are provided to them. Presenter specific actions taken by the planners 106 are represented by actions 124 in architecture 100.
The planners 106 can also reserve a location, set of room(s) 110 and take other location-specific actions (providing a necessary quantity of chairs, audio/visual equipment, etc.) for the presentation event. These actions (e.g., booking actions 122) can consider an expected size of the audience 104, occupancy limitations of the rooms 110, costs, available dates/times, and other factors.
Additional actions can also be coordinated by planners 106. These actions (e.g., catering actions 126) include contracting with one or more service providers, such as catering entities 114. These catering entities 114 (and other service providers) can provide food, beverages, printed material, chairs (and other resources), audio visual equipment, rooms and travel arrangements for the presenters 112, and other miscellaneous services necessary for running or supporting the presentation event.